THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 



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fire in 1890 and rebuilt with important 

 improvements. The new medical build- 

 ing was opened three years ago. The 

 university library, erected almost 

 wholly by private subscription, was 

 completed in 1892. The chemical 

 building was first occupied in 1895, and 

 a new building for applied science was 

 used for the first time by the section of 

 .state medicine. 



THE XATIOXAL PURE FOOD LAW 

 The McCumber - Heyburn - Hepburn 

 federal food and drug law goes into 

 effect on January the first. It includes 

 in its provisions all substances intended 

 for human consumption. It is the 

 most comprehensive measure ever en- 

 acted by congress for the control of 

 interstate industries. Its provisions 

 apply to the District of Columbia and 

 to the territories, to exports and im- 

 ports and to interstate shipments. To 

 receive full benefits from its operation, 

 it will be necessary for each state and 

 city to maintain cooperative inspection 

 over its own commerce, for the law will j 

 not apply to adulteration and mis- 

 branding practised wholly within the 

 state. 



The enforcement of any law depends 

 upon evidence. For this reason it is 

 difficult to enforce laws against indus- 

 trial combinations and discriminations 

 because the evidence of violation can 

 onh be had through a knowledge of 

 the inward transactions of the inter- 

 est. In enforcing the food law the 

 secret schemes of a board of directors 

 or a manufacturing manager will be 

 at once liable to detection, by an ex- 

 amination or analysis of the product 

 put upon the market. The profession 

 of chemistry is well equipped with 

 means for detecting adulteration and 

 misbranding. Methods of analyses 

 have already been established beyond 

 dispute, and a wide and accurate 

 knowledge of the standard qualities of 

 food and drug substances has been com- 

 piled. In enforcing this law, however, 

 the effect upas baalt.b of the use of 



minimum quantities of antiseptics, like 

 benzoic acid to preserve such fruit and 

 vegetable condiments as are left open 

 in the bottle or jar by the consumer 

 until used up, will be controverted. 

 Some manufacturers began in an ex- 

 perimental way several years ago to 

 put up these goods without antiseptics, 

 and several of the large firms announce 

 that the antiseptic is no longer neces- 

 sary if the product is properly sterilized 

 and packed in a small package. Others 

 contend that an immediate prohibition 

 of antiseptics will destroy their busi- 

 ness. This is one of the honest prob- 

 lems in the enforcement of food laws, 

 and several of the states have found a 

 good solution for the present in re- 

 quiring plain labeling to show the 

 name and the amount of the antiseptic 

 used in preserving catsups, sweet 

 pickles and similar foods. This label- 

 ing puts a competitive trade influence 

 to work which is more effective than 

 prohibitive statute law. 



Some provisions of the law will come 

 in conflict with previous laws enacted 

 by congress relating to special prod- 

 ucts. Under the general law the term 

 • butter ' would mean the unadulterated 

 fat from milk or cream. A previous 

 federal law, however, permits the un- 

 qualified term ' butter ' to apply to 

 milk fat which contains ' added harm- 

 less color.' Again, under the food 

 law the term ' wine ' would be de- 

 lined to be the product made by the 

 normal alcoholic fermentation of the 

 juice of sound, ripe grapes, and 

 ■ sweet wine ' would mean wine made 

 sweet by arresting alcoholic fermenta- 

 tion. But a previous statute defines 

 sweet wine to apply without added 

 labeling to a product containing added 

 cane or beet sugar. There should be 

 no objection to the sale of butter con- 

 taining added harmless coloring matter 

 or wine containing added beet or cane 

 sugar. But the interests in whose be- 

 half these definitions were incorporated 

 in the federal statutes wish to con- 

 tinue these colorations and additions 



